Schwabing, a district in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, is often associated with its well-known landmarks like Leopoldstraße, the English Garden, and Münchner Freiheit. However, this vibrant area stretches from Siegestor to Petuelring, revealing a quieter and more distinctive character the further one ventures from its main axis. This guide offers ten unique tips to uncover Schwabing’s hidden gems, including an 800-year-old village church, three stone eyes on a main road, and a garden settlement complete with a horse stable. All these locations are freely accessible, and most can be easily combined into a walking or cycling tour.
Key Information at a Glance
- What is it? 10 special places in Schwabing – monuments, churches, parks, and a settlement.
- Where? Focused around Münchner Freiheit, with an excursion north and four destinations west of Leopoldstraße.
- For whom? Anyone who wants to rediscover their district – and guests looking for more than the standard program.
- Cost: All locations are freely accessible, including the churches.
- When? Year-round; churches are open during the day, other locations anytime.
- Good to know: Doing everything at once is a full day’s program. If walking, it’s best to split it – the first six tips around Münchner Freiheit as the first stage, the four western ones as the second. By bike, the entire round can be done in an afternoon.
1. Helmut Fischer & Helmut Dietl Memorial
At Münchner Freiheit, two bronze figures commemorate cultural icons Helmut Fischer (known as “Monaco Franze”) and director Helmut Dietl. Fischer’s statue has stood in front of his regular café since the late 1990s, with Dietl joining him in September 2022. Both were created by sculptor Nicolai Tregor. The famously tilted table was cast with one leg in the air from the start, anticipating a future companion who would prop it up with their foot.
- Location: Münchner Freiheit
- Public Transport: U3/U6 Münchner Freiheit
- Highlight: The tilted café table, making sense only after Dietl’s statue was added.
2. Erlöserkirche (Church of the Redeemer)
Located at the northern end of Münchner Freiheit, the Erlöserkirche is Schwabing’s oldest Protestant church, built by Theodor Fischer from 1899 to 1901. While its exterior resembles a South German country church with Romanesque and Gothic influences, its interior is far more striking. The pillar capitals feature floral Art Nouveau designs, and a fresco by Linda Kögel adorns the apse, topped by a wooden coffered ceiling. Many consider it Munich’s most artistically valuable Protestant church.
- Location: Ungererstraße 15
- Public Transport: U3/U6 Münchner Freiheit
- Opening Hours: Usually 9 AM to 5 PM
- Highlight: Floral Art Nouveau capitals and the fresco in the apse.
3. Schwabinger See (Schwabing Lake)
The L-shaped Schwabinger See, created in the late 1980s on the site of the former Schwabing freight station, is a relatively new but beautiful addition to the district. It is fed by the Nymphenburg-Biederstein Canal, known here as “Schwarze Lacke,” which flows through the Ungererbad into the English Garden. Two islands serve as a retreat for geese, swans, and coots. Swimming is not permitted, but there are plenty of benches around the lake for relaxation.
- Location: Between Berliner Straße and Schinkelstraße, next to Ungererbad
- Public Transport: U6 Nordfriedhof or Dietlindenstraße
- Highlight: A bird sanctuary with two islands, perfect for a peaceful stroll.
4. Wedekindplatz and the Crooked Lamppost
Wedekindplatz, Schwabing’s old village square, is now a popular meeting point with benches under old trees, surrounded by pubs, cafés, and small shops. The Musenbrunnen (Muses Fountain) from 1959 adds to its charm in summer. Here, you’ll find Munich’s crookedest lamppost, a unique piece from the legendary, now-closed pub “Bei Gisela.” Its unusual shape dates back to 1960 when the owner, Gisela Jonas, needed a new loudspeaker system, and the lamppost was simply bent around it. After the square’s redesign, it was re-illuminated in 2015 and officially inaugurated in May 2016.
- Location: Wedekindplatz, on Feilitzschstraße
- Public Transport: U3/U6 Münchner Freiheit
- Highlight: The unique crooked lamppost with a fascinating history.
5. St. Sylvester Church
At Biedersteiner Straße 1, St. Sylvester Church appears to be an unremarkable parish church but is, in fact, one of the oldest church sites in the city. Its square tower dates back to around 1200, and the outer walls of the old building are Gothic. In the 17th century, stucco and three altars were added. Until 1897, it was called St. Ursula. After a new church was built at Kaiserplatz, the old village church had to give up its name and patronage, becoming St. Sylvester in 1921. In 1925/26, architect Hermann Buchert added a bright, Neo-Baroque extension directly to the old building, resulting in “two churches under one roof,” making St. Sylvester a popular wedding venue.
- Location: Biedersteiner Straße 1
- Public Transport: U3/U6 Münchner Freiheit
- Highlight: Two churches literally under one roof, showcasing centuries of architectural history.
6. The Walking Man
Standing 17 meters tall, snow-white, and faceless, Jonathan Borofsky’s “Walking Man” has been in front of the Munich Re Foundation’s office building on Leopoldstraße since September 1995, specifically designed for this location. The artist had it built in Los Angeles, a process that took over a year, and it arrived in Munich in nine parts. Few know that the site’s rear building once housed the studio of architect Manfred Eickemeyer, which from early summer 1942 became a meeting place for the White Rose resistance group, including Hans Scholl and his friends.
- Location: Leopoldstraße 36
- Public Transport: U3/U6 Giselastraße
- Highlight: The monumental sculpture and its historical connection to the White Rose resistance movement.
7. “Dom von Schwabing” (Schwabing Cathedral) – St. Ursula Church
A few streets west of Leopoldstraße, on Kaiserplatz, stands the church that inherited the name St. Ursula. August Thiersch built it between 1894 and 1897, inspired by Florentine Early Renaissance architecture: a basilica with a columned portico, a crossing dome, and a freestanding bell tower. It was Munich’s first sacred building to break away from medieval models, with Thiersch even using the then-new building material, concrete, for the foundation, tower staircase, and dome. This church embodies the cliché of Munich as the northernmost city of Italy. Inside, admire Balthasar Schmitt’s majolica reliefs, which replicate colorful Italian ceramics. Next to the forecourt, an old bell is displayed up close, offering a rare opportunity to inspect a church bell.
- Location: Kaiserplatz
- Public Transport: U3/U6 Münchner Freiheit or U2 Hohenzollernplatz
- Highlight: Florentine Early Renaissance architecture and majolica reliefs.
8. Artworks in Petuelpark
Where cars once sped, parents now push strollers along gravel paths: Petuelpark is Munich’s first park built on top of a tunnel, connecting two districts that the Mittlerer Ring had separated for decades since 2004. The park features 13 artworks. Bogomir Ecker’s Periscope allows views down into the tunnel (deactivated in winter), Pia Stadtbäumer’s cowboy “Go!” rides in circles with a packed mule, and Rodney Graham’s seven chairs play a song daily at 4:15 PM. The fountain square hosts a café with a beer garden, and an exhibition space in its basement can be viewed through a glass facade.
- Location: Access at Petuelring
- Public Transport: U3 Petuelring
- Highlight: 13 diverse artworks, including a periscope to view tunnel traffic.
9. Three Eyes on Schleißheimer Straße
Between Nordbad and the City Archives lies one of Munich’s most unusual art installations, often unnoticed by passersby. Anne and Patrick Poirier created this four-part ensemble across the street in 1990. In front of Nordbad are two marble blocks: the oculus memoriae (eye of memory) and the oculus oblivionis (eye of oblivion). Both gaze across at the oculus historiae, a gilded disc on the facade of the City Archives’ magazine building. In front of it, an eight-meter-high steel column, broken within itself, is topped by a plate shaped like an open book – a fitting artwork for an archive.
- Location: Schleißheimer Straße 142, in front of Nordbad and opposite the City Archives’ magazine building
- Public Transport: U2 Hohenzollernplatz
- Highlight: A thought-provoking ensemble of “eyes” symbolizing memory, oblivion, and history.
10. Barbarasiedlung (Barbara Settlement)
In the triangle between Barbara-, Infanterie-, and Schwere-Reiter-Straße, a settlement defies typical Schwabing expectations: one- to four-family homes in the Heimatschutzstil, some with half-timbering and wood paneling, complete with front and utility gardens and a small private street. Built between 1909 and 1918 for craftsmen of the neighboring military clothing office, architect Georg Besold combined Theodor Fischer’s urban planning principles with the garden city idea. The entire complex is under ensemble protection, and its renovation was commended with the Munich Facade Prize in 1993. Behind one of the houses, you’ll even find horses: this is home to Munich’s only carriage company, whose fiakers await passengers at the Chinese Tower from midday. Please remember this is a residential area; explore respectfully and stay on the paths.
- Location: Access via Barbarastraße, carriage company at Schwere-Reiter-Straße 22
- Public Transport: Tram stop Barbarastraße
- Highlight: A unique garden settlement with historic architecture and Munich’s only carriage company.
Frequently Asked Questions about Schwabing
Is Schwabing-West also part of Schwabing?
Yes. Schwabing-West was separated as its own district in 1909 due to rapid population growth, but in everyday language, no one speaks of two separate districts. The tips on this page cover both halves.
Which churches are worth seeing in Schwabing?
Three are particularly noteworthy: the Erlöserkirche with its Art Nouveau interior, St. Sylvester as the former village church with medieval architecture, and St. Ursula on Kaiserplatz with its Italian-inspired dome.
Where is the Walking Man located?
On Leopoldstraße in Schwabing, in front of the Munich Re office building between Giselastraße and Münchner Freiheit. The sculpture is in public space and freely accessible at any time.
Where does Monaco Franze sit in Schwabing?
At Münchner Freiheit, in the garden of the café of the same name. The bronze figure shows Helmut Fischer in his role as the “eternal dandy”; since 2022, director Helmut Dietl sits at the same table.
Can you visit the Barbarasiedlung?
You can walk through the settlement; it is accessible via Barbarastraße. However, these are inhabited houses with private gardens – interiors cannot be visited.
Where can you find outdoor art in Schwabing?
Most notably in Petuelpark with its 13 works. Additionally, there’s the Walking Man on Leopoldstraße and the “eyes” ensemble between Nordbad and the City Archives. All three are accessible at any time and free of charge.
Source: https://www.muenchen.de/freizeit/schwabing-tipps-fuer-entdecker
